Post by lazarus on Aug 19, 2005 18:46:12 GMT -5
Posted on Fri, Aug. 19, 2005
Here’s why Trent Green is a leader
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
Turns out, Trent Green bailed out more than just backup quarterback Todd Collins this week. On Thursday, Green covered for the walking public-relations nightmare known in these parts as King Carl.
Thursday morning Carl Peterson, the executive producer of the straight-to-DVD smash, “Chiefsgonewild,” poured gasoline on our favorite football team’s wild weekend.
Afraid that his 35-year-old quarterback couldn’t explain his involvement in a Stillwater, Minn., nightclub dispute, Peterson interrupted reporters to say that Green would answer only football questions.
“Specific to an incident involving a couple of our quarterbacks Saturday night in Stillwater,” Peterson injected, “I want it to be understood that this guy right here, Trent Green, was not a facilitator. He was a negotiator. Because of his efforts a situation which could have been pretty volatile was not.
“There were no charges filed, there were no arrests; the police were there. They were very pleased to have Trent there, and the incident is over with,” Peterson rambled on. “I would hope that people in Kansas City in particular never question the integrity of this guy right here, Trent Green, and what he’s done on the field and off the field. Along with his family, it speaks volumes about the integrity of Trent Green.
“This incident is closed as far as we’re concerned.”
And with that, Peterson wrote the blueprint on how not to handle the fallout when at least five members of your football team, including your unquestioned leader, wind up in three separate incidents involving the police.
We learned Thursday that Green and Collins, although not arrested or charged with any crime, joined Junior Siavii, Greg Wesley and Lawrence Tynes as known participants in the Sunday morning drama, “Chiefs Behaving Badly: Breaking Training and Noses.”
In three separate incidents, in three separate cities, Siavii and Wesley were arrested for disorderly conduct, Tynes allegedly broke the nose of a bouncer, and Collins and Green got written up in a police incident report that alleged Collins took a swing at a security guard and Green flirted with the female wait staff.
Wrapped together, this is all rather embarrassing. This is no time for anybody in the Chiefs organization to start giving speeches about integrity. You apologize, promise to behave appropriately and move on.
Not surprisingly, that’s exactly what Green did Thursday afternoon once he and the Chiefs realized how poorly Peterson handled the situation.
“It’s a mistake me and Todd made, that we all made, Junior, Lawrence and Greg,” Green told me in a telephone interview. “We all got into incidents at different levels, and it’s something we all regret. The main thing is it’s made us closer as a football team. We don’t want to do anything that embarrasses Coach Vermeil, Lamar Hunt or Carl Peterson. The fans of Kansas City don’t want to hear stories like this. We come up here to get better as a football team. The incidents were all different and were all different circumstances. The bottom line is they were wrong.”
That’s it. No excuses. No long, drawn-out rationalizations. Just the facts. At least with me, he didn’t waste time disputing what was in the report. Trent Green, the leader of the football team, got involved in an incident that put his team in a negative light, and for that Trent Green is sorry. That’s leadership.
It’s pretty much what I expected from Green. In his time in KC, he hasn’t ducked anything. He’s a high-character individual. Is he capable of a lapse in judgment? Of course, we all are. But Green has more than earned the benefit of the doubt, especially in an incident as minor as this.
Maybe the reason athletes appear to avoid taking responsibility for their big indiscretions is that when they commit a tiny indiscretion there’s always a King Carl around to tell them they did nothing wrong.
Green did tell me that Peterson and head coach thingy Vermeil have both addressed the team this week about walking away from situations that could turn volatile. And Green told me that he strongly disagreed with my contention that this year’s training camp has been too loosely run by Vermeil.
“It’s not more relaxed,” Green said. “Practices have been just as intense. Guys are still complaining about the length of practices and losing their legs.”
Here’s why Trent Green is a leader
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
Turns out, Trent Green bailed out more than just backup quarterback Todd Collins this week. On Thursday, Green covered for the walking public-relations nightmare known in these parts as King Carl.
Thursday morning Carl Peterson, the executive producer of the straight-to-DVD smash, “Chiefsgonewild,” poured gasoline on our favorite football team’s wild weekend.
Afraid that his 35-year-old quarterback couldn’t explain his involvement in a Stillwater, Minn., nightclub dispute, Peterson interrupted reporters to say that Green would answer only football questions.
“Specific to an incident involving a couple of our quarterbacks Saturday night in Stillwater,” Peterson injected, “I want it to be understood that this guy right here, Trent Green, was not a facilitator. He was a negotiator. Because of his efforts a situation which could have been pretty volatile was not.
“There were no charges filed, there were no arrests; the police were there. They were very pleased to have Trent there, and the incident is over with,” Peterson rambled on. “I would hope that people in Kansas City in particular never question the integrity of this guy right here, Trent Green, and what he’s done on the field and off the field. Along with his family, it speaks volumes about the integrity of Trent Green.
“This incident is closed as far as we’re concerned.”
And with that, Peterson wrote the blueprint on how not to handle the fallout when at least five members of your football team, including your unquestioned leader, wind up in three separate incidents involving the police.
We learned Thursday that Green and Collins, although not arrested or charged with any crime, joined Junior Siavii, Greg Wesley and Lawrence Tynes as known participants in the Sunday morning drama, “Chiefs Behaving Badly: Breaking Training and Noses.”
In three separate incidents, in three separate cities, Siavii and Wesley were arrested for disorderly conduct, Tynes allegedly broke the nose of a bouncer, and Collins and Green got written up in a police incident report that alleged Collins took a swing at a security guard and Green flirted with the female wait staff.
Wrapped together, this is all rather embarrassing. This is no time for anybody in the Chiefs organization to start giving speeches about integrity. You apologize, promise to behave appropriately and move on.
Not surprisingly, that’s exactly what Green did Thursday afternoon once he and the Chiefs realized how poorly Peterson handled the situation.
“It’s a mistake me and Todd made, that we all made, Junior, Lawrence and Greg,” Green told me in a telephone interview. “We all got into incidents at different levels, and it’s something we all regret. The main thing is it’s made us closer as a football team. We don’t want to do anything that embarrasses Coach Vermeil, Lamar Hunt or Carl Peterson. The fans of Kansas City don’t want to hear stories like this. We come up here to get better as a football team. The incidents were all different and were all different circumstances. The bottom line is they were wrong.”
That’s it. No excuses. No long, drawn-out rationalizations. Just the facts. At least with me, he didn’t waste time disputing what was in the report. Trent Green, the leader of the football team, got involved in an incident that put his team in a negative light, and for that Trent Green is sorry. That’s leadership.
It’s pretty much what I expected from Green. In his time in KC, he hasn’t ducked anything. He’s a high-character individual. Is he capable of a lapse in judgment? Of course, we all are. But Green has more than earned the benefit of the doubt, especially in an incident as minor as this.
Maybe the reason athletes appear to avoid taking responsibility for their big indiscretions is that when they commit a tiny indiscretion there’s always a King Carl around to tell them they did nothing wrong.
Green did tell me that Peterson and head coach thingy Vermeil have both addressed the team this week about walking away from situations that could turn volatile. And Green told me that he strongly disagreed with my contention that this year’s training camp has been too loosely run by Vermeil.
“It’s not more relaxed,” Green said. “Practices have been just as intense. Guys are still complaining about the length of practices and losing their legs.”
